Man&#39;s undergarment



March 9, 1954 M. HOCHBERG MANS UNDERGARMENT Filed July 16, 195]Gttornegs Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to undergarments and. in particular, to mensunderpants or shorts.

One object of this invention is to provide mens shorts having a loop ofelastic material attached to the waistband and extending upward so asvto hook over one of the lower buttons of the man-s shirt so that it notonly holds the shirt down but also holds the shorts up.

Another object is to provide mens shorts of the foregoing kind whereinthe elastic loop is of elastic cord and wherein the loop is maintainedby stitching which converges toward the top of the waistband, therebypreserving the loop without interfering with its length which gives itits maximum stretch, this construction providing the loop with a narrowneck which holds the loop around the neck oi thread by which the buttonis attached to the shirt so that the loop will not come off the buttonwhen the wearer bends over.

Another object is to provide mens shorts wherein the free ends of theloop diverge in a V-shaped arrangement, the ends of which are secured bystitching or in any other suitable way to the waistband or adjacentportions oi' the shorts so that the loop is given greater stability andsteadiness in contrast to that if its ends were arranged parallel to oneanother.

Another object is to provide mens shorts of the foregoing characterwherein the .loop throughout its lower part is covered by a cover stripwhich not only serves to conceal the free ends of the loop but alsoprevents stretching of the waistband at the point where the loop isattached.

Another object is to provide mens shorts of the foregoing character ofthe so-called boxer type having an elastic waistband which dispenseswith buttons and also having the elastic loop anchored to the shorts ator below the waistband but extending upward above the waistbandsufciently to provide clearance for attachment to the shirt button, thethread of which serves as a bridge when the button with the loop slippedover it is inserted in the buttonhole of the shirt band.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawing, wherein: ,Y o

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of shorts of the presentinvention shown in its position when worn, with the buttonholeunbuttoned to reveal the elastic loop slipped over the button;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elelil vation of the portionof the shorts of Figure 1 adjacent the elastic loop with the cover stripbroken away to show the mode of attaching the loop to the shorts; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 iin Figure 2,showing the construction of the shorts adjacent the loop and coverstrip.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure l shows a pair of men-sshorts, generally designated lll, -of the so-called boxer type having anelastic waistband H equipped with the elastic loop device I2 of thepresent invention with the elastic loop i3 thereof shown as hooked overa lower button I4 of the wearers shirt with the shirtband ic carryingthe buttonholes i6 unbuttoned and pulledy aside in order to show theconstruction more clearly. The so-called boxer shorts are free from anybuttons and have almost entirely displaced mens so-called button shortsas well as so-called union suits. For many years, men have been subjectto the annoyance of having their shirts gradually pull out of theirtrousers at the waistband, giving a dishevelled appearance. The presentinvention with the elastic loop construction I2 not only holds the shirtdown but also holds the shorts up, as well as giving the otheradvantages described above in the objects of the invention and thedescription of the use of the shorts.

The trunk portion I9 and leg portions 20 of the shorts l0 areconstructed in the usual conventional manner and have front portions 2i,22 overlapping one another` as at 23 (Figure 3) to provide a so-calledopen ny front 24. The

overlapping portions 2|, 22 are secured to the waistband H by a row ofstitches 25 which alsoy hold in place a cover strip 21 of elongatedshapeextending up the overlapping portion 22 of the fly front 24.

The waistband H consists of outer and inner layers ofk fabric 3F) and 3lwith elastic material such as rubber threads 32 arranged between them(Figure 3). The waistband Il is arranged with its fabric layers 3u and"3| shirred, gathered or puckered (Figure 1) so as to permit a greatamount of stretch before the fabric becomes taut. These components ofthe waistband Il itself are held in position by three rows of stitching33, 34 and 35 respectively (Figure 2), although a greater or lessernumber of rows of stitching may be used as desired.

The elastic loop i3 is preferably made from a piece of elastic cordhaving a loop portion 36 provided with a narrow neck portion l31 wherethe free portions 38 and 39 of the loop portion 38 come close to oneanother. The free portions 38 and 39 interconnect the upper ends of armportions 40 and 4I constituting the sides of said loop I3 and convergingupwardly toward one another in an inverted V-shaped arrangement (Figure2) from their more widely spaced lower ends 42, 43. The latter areanchored to the shorts I by stitches 44 passing through the overlappingportions 2| and 22 of the trunk portion I9 of the shorts I0. Thus, theloop I3 is free to expand throughout almost its entire length, except atits lower ends 42 and 43. 'I'he cover strip 21 is of elongated shape andis secured to the overlapping portions 2I and 22 by the same row ofstitches 25 previously mentioned, and has upwardly converging rows ofstitches 45, 46 (Figure 2) which restrict the side- Wise expansion ofthe loop I3 and maintain its neck portion 31. The lower portion of theloop I3 within the converging tunnel-like pocket or heading 41 betweenthe overlapping portion 2l, and the cover strip 21 is thus freeto expandand is additionally held down by the portion 40 of the lower row ofstitching 35 which extends across the cover strip 21. The convergingtunnel-like space 41 is roughly triangular in shape and has an opening43 at its upper end through which the loop I3 projects.

In the use of the invention, the wearer puts on the shorts in the usualway by stepping into the leg portions 20 and drawing the trunk portionI9 upward around his body until the waistband I is located approximatelyat his waistline. Having put on his shirt I5, he hooks the loop I3 overthe nearest button I4 on his shirt and then inserts the button I4through the buttonhole I6 so as to lock the upper portion 36 of the loopI3 in position around the button neck 50 formed by the thread by whichthe button is attached to the shirt. The neck portion 31 of the loop I3passes through the space between adjacent buttons i4 and the loop I3 isfree to expand almost throughout its entire length from its upperportion 38 to its ends 42 while being held in its loop shape with itsnarrow neck 31 by the restricting converging rows 45, 46 of stitches.With the loop I4 thus attached to the button I4 or rather to its thread50, the shirt I5 is held down and the shorts I 0 held up. At the sametime, the wearer can sit down without the necessity of detaching theloop I3 from the button I4 and may even pull the waistband II below thebuttocks while in a sitting position without detaching the loop from thebutton because of the resilience of the long loop. The loop I3, beingpermanently attached to the shorts, cannot become lost or misplaced anddoes not require the presence of buttons on the shorts. As previouslystated, the cover strip 21 almost completely conceals the loop I3 and atthe same time prevents stretching of the waistband I I at the upper endof the cover strip 21.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with the trunk portion of a mans undergarment having awaistband at the upper edge thereof, an inverted V-shaped loop member ofelastic material mounted in the center of the front of said trunkportion, said loop member having arm portions constituting the sides ofsaid loop member, said arm portions having lower ends spaced more widelyapart than the upper ends thereof, said lower ends being secured to saidtrunkportion adjacent said waistband, said loop member also having aclosed loop portion interconnecting said upper ends of said arm portionsand extending upwardly above said waistband, and a cover strip securedto said trunk portion and extending over said arm portions of said loopmember, said cover strip having upwardly-converging securing elementsdisposed outwardly of the outer edges of said arm portions and formingan upwardly-tapered pocket containing said arm portions and having a topopening through which said loop portion projects upwardly.

2.In combination with the trunk portion of a mans undergarment having awaistband at the `upper edge therof, an inverted V-shaped loop member ofelastic material mounted in the center of the front of said trunkportion, said loop member having arm portions constituting the sides ofsaid loop member, said arm portions hav ing lower ends spaced morewidely apart than the upper ends thereof, said lower ends being securedto said trunk portion adjacent said waistband, said loop member alsohaving a closed loop portion interconnecting said upper ends of said armportions and extending upwardly above said waistband, said arm portionsof said loop member converging upwardly from said lower ends toward saidupper ends, said loop member having a relatively narrow neck portionbetween said loop portion and said upper ends of said arm portions, anda cover strip secured to said trunk portion and extending over said armportions of said loop member, said cover strip having upwardlyconverging securing elements disposed outwardly of the outer edges ofsaid arm portions and forming an upwardly tapered pocket containing saidarm portions and having a top opening through Which said loop portionprojects upwardly.

MEYER HOCHBERG.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 148,193 Dunbar Mar. 3, 1874 365,283 Todd June 21, 1887 372,511Blondheim Nov. 1, 1887 388,075 Saeger Aug. 21, 1888 932,640 PfiffnerAug. 31, 1909 997,033 Bailly July 4, 1911 1,470,471 Peters et al Oct. 9,1923

